1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to the distribution of information and, more particularly, for distributing this information in a secure and restricted manner.
Applicant and other related companies are in the business of distributing realtime financial market information to various clients who use this information to carry on their business. When a client subscribes for this service, an agreement is entered into in which the client indicates which information is desired and states the number of video displays which will be accessing the information and, based on this number, a fee is assessed to the client and the information then is transmitted to the client.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, this financial market information is presented to clients as pages on an electronic display screen, portions of which, from time to time, are updated to reflect changes in the market. Various clients then subscribe to view specific ones of these pages. The video signals for producing these pages are usually produced by a controller that is installed in the client's office for selectively generating the subscribed-for pages on the corresponding display screens. Each full page is repeatedly transmitted in video at a field rate for realtime display, similar to that of a television transmission. However, once the video signal is produced, there is nothing to prevent the client from connecting any number of video displays to the controller, above and beyond the number stated in the agreement; nothing save the personal integrity of the client. This practice dilutes the revenues to which the provider would ordinarily be entitled.